Control device having an illuminated portion controlled in response to an external sensor

ABSTRACT

A load control system for controlling at least one electrical load may comprise a plurality of control devices and a sensor external to at least one of the control devices. The sensor may be configured to sense a condition of a space in which the control devices are installed. The at least one electrical load may be controlled in response to the condition sensed by the sensor. The control devices may include respective illuminated portions. The control devices may adjust the intensity of the respective illuminated portions in response to the condition sensed by the sensor. If multiple sensors are included in the load control system to sense the condition, the control devices may adjust the intensity of their respective illuminated portions by aggregating the condition sensed by each sensor.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of Provisional U.S. PatentApplication No. 62/132,592, filed Mar. 13, 2015, Provisional U.S. PatentApplication No. 62/166,235, filed May 26, 2015, and Provisional U.S.Patent Application No. 62/240,315, filed Oct. 12, 2015, the disclosuresof which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

BACKGROUND

Home automation systems, which have become increasingly popular, may beused by homeowners to integrate and control electrical and/or electronicdevices in their homes. For example, a homeowner may connect appliances,lights, blinds, thermostats, cable or satellite boxes, security systems,telecommunication systems, and the like to each other via a wired orwireless home network. The homeowner may control these devices using acontroller or user interface. The controller or user interface may beprovided via one or more control devices, e.g., a tabletop orwall-mounted keypad, a wall-mounted touch screen, a phone, a tablet, acomputer, and the like. The control devices may be directly connected tothe home network or remotely connected, e.g., via the Internet. Thecontrol devices may communicate with each other and/or with thecontroller to, for example, improve the control devices' efficiency,convenience, and/or usability.

Some of the control devices may each comprise a visual display, such asa light-emitting diode (LED) display, for communicating information to auser and/or receiving user inputs. The visual display may be illuminated(e.g., via a backlight) in a dark space. The visual display (and/or thebacklight) may be turned off when the control device is not being used,for example, to save energy. For instance, the control device maycomprise a proximity sensor mounted on the control device adjacent tothe visual display for detecting when a user is near the control device.The visual display of the control device may be automatically turned onand illuminated when a user's presence is detected. The control devicemay comprise an ambient light sensor mounted on the control deviceadjacent to the visual display for adjusting the backlight intensity ofthe visual display in order to provide optimum viewing of the visualdisplay in the present ambient light. However, the addition of aproximity sensor and/or an ambient light sensor to each control devicehaving a visual display may increase the cost of the control devices.The control devices may also need to be physically bigger in order toaccommodate the sensor(s).

In another situation, multiple control devices may be installed next toeach other, e.g., in a multi-gang electrical wallbox. Two or more of thecontrol devices may each include an illuminated portion (e.g., thevisual display described herein), and an ambient light sensor mountedadjacent to the illuminated area for measuring a light level around thecontrol device and adjusting the intensity/brightness of the illuminatedportion. The measurements taken by the ambient light sensors, however,may not always be the same, for example, due to each sensor'sinstallation position and/or the direction of ambient light sources.Such inconsistent measurements of the light level may cause theilluminated portions of adjacent control devices to appear differently.Usability and/or aesthetic appeal of the control devices may be affectedas a result.

SUMMARY

As described herein, a system for controlling at least one electricalload may comprise a plurality of control devices. The control devicesmay each include an illuminated portion. The light intensity of theilluminated portion may be controlled in response to a sensor configuredto sense a condition of a space in which the control devices areinstalled. For example, the condition may be an occupancy or vacancycondition in the space and/or a light level in the space. The sensor maybe external to at least one of the control devices (e.g., a stand-alonesensor external to all of the control devices or an integral sensorincluded in a control device). The sensor or the control devicecomprising the sensor may be configured to transmit a signal that isindicative of the sensed condition. The control devices may beconfigured to adjust their respective illuminated portions in responseto the sensed condition. If multiple sensors are included in the systemand configured to sense the condition, the control devices may beconfigured to control their respective illuminated portions byaggregating the condition sensed by each sensor.

Also described herein is a control device for controlling an electricalload. The control device may be part of a load control system and maycomprise a user interface (e.g., for receiving a user input and/ordisplaying feedback to the user) and an illuminated portion. Theilluminated portion may be controlled in response to a sensor of theload control system. The sensor may be external to the control deviceand be configured to sense a condition of a space in which the controldevice is installed. The sensor may transmit a control signal indicativeof the sensed condition. The control device may comprise a communicationcircuit configured to transmit and receive control signals and a controlcircuit electrically coupled to the user interface, the illuminatedportion, and the communication circuit. The control circuit may beconfigured to receive a control signal indicative of the conditionsensed by the sensor and to control the illuminated portion in responseto the control signal. The control circuit may be further configured tocontrol the electrical load in response to the user interface receivinga user input.

A load control system comprising an input device, a sensor, and a loadcontrol device, and configured to control an electrical load is alsodescribed. The sensor may be external to both the input device and theload control device, and be configured to sense a condition of a spacein which the electrical load is installed. The input device may includea user interface (e.g., configured to receive a user input and/or todisplay feedback to the user) and an illuminated portion. The inputdevice may be configured to transmit a first control signal in responseto receiving a user input for controlling the electrical load. Thesensor may be configured to transmit a second control signal forcontrolling the electrical load in response to sensing the condition.The load control device may be configured to control the electrical loadin response to the first and second control signals. The input devicemay be further configured to control the illuminated portion in responseto the condition sensed by the sensor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a diagram of an example load control system for controllingone or more electrical loads.

FIG. 2A shows a perspective view of an example tabletop remote controldevice.

FIG. 2B shows a perspective view of an example wall-mounted remotecontrol device.

FIG. 3 shows an example multi-gang configuration including three controldevices.

FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of an example control device.

FIG. 5 shows an example procedure for illuminating an illuminatedportion of a control device in response to an external sensor.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows an example load control system 100 (e.g., a lightingcontrol system) for controlling the amount of power delivered to one ormore electrical loads (e.g., lighting loads). The source of the powermay be an alternating-current (AC) power source such as the AC powersource 102. The load control system 100 may comprise a first loadcontrol device (e.g., a wall-mounted dimmer switch 110) coupled betweenthe AC power source 102 and a first lighting load (e.g., a first lightbulb 112). The coupling may be via a series electrical connection, forexample. The first lighting load may be installed in a ceiling mounteddownlight fixture 114, in a wall-mounted lighting fixture, or in otherlighting fixtures standing or mounted to another surface. The dimmerswitch 110 may be adapted to be wall-mounted in a standard electricalwallbox. The dimmer switch 110 may comprise a load control circuit(e.g., an internal, controllably conductive device, such as a relay or atriac) coupled (e.g., via a series electrical connection) between the ACpower source 102 and the lighting load (e.g., the first light bulb 112).The load control circuit may control at least the amount of powerdelivered to the lighting load and thus the intensity of the lightingload.

The dimmer switch 110 may comprise a user interface configured toreceive a user input and/or display feedback to the user. For example,the user interface may include one or more actuators 116 (e.g., buttons,a thin touch-sensitive actuator, and/or the like) for controlling thelight bulb 112. In response to actuation of the actuators 116, thedimmer switch 110 may be configured to turn the light bulb 112 on andoff, and/or to increase or decrease the amount of power delivered to thelight bulb and thus increase or decrease the intensity of the light bulbfrom a minimum intensity (e.g., approximately 1%) to a maximum intensity(e.g., approximately 100%). The dimmer switch 110 may further comprisean illuminated portion. The illuminated portion may overlap with theuser interface (e.g., being part of the user interface) or be separatedfrom the user interface. In an example, the illuminated portion may bepart of the user interface and may include a plurality of visualindicators 118. The visual indicators 118 may be arranged in a lineararray and be illuminated to provide feedback of the intensity of thelight bulb 112. The visual indicators 118 may be illuminated by one ormore discrete light sources, such as one or more light-emitting diodes(LEDs) located behind the visual indicators. In another example, theuser interface of the dimmer switch 110 may comprise a thin touchsensitive actuator as shown and described in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat.No. 7,791,595, issued Sep. 7, 2010, entitled TOUCH SCREEN ASSEMBLY FOR ALIGHTING CONTROL, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporatedby reference. The thin touch sensitive actuator may have a substantiallytransparent actuation member that may be illuminated by one or morelight sources (e.g., LEDs). The light sources may be positioned behindthe actuation member. When illuminated, the thin touch sensitiveactuation member may define an illuminated portion of the dimmer switch.

The dimmer switch 110 may be configured to receive digital messages viawired (e.g., through a wired digital communication link) or wirelesssignals (e.g., radio-frequency (RF) signals 106), and to control thelight bulb 112 in response to the received digital messages. Examples ofwall-mounted dimmer switches are described in greater detail in U.S.Pat. No. 5,248,919, issued Sep. 29, 1993, entitled LIGHTING CONTROLDEVICE, and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0132475,published May 15, 2014, entitled WIRELESS LOAD CONTROL DEVICE, theentire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

The load control system 100 may comprise a second load control device,which may be of any particular type. For example, the second loadcontrol device may be a plug-in load control device 120 coupled (e.g.,via a series electrical connection) between the AC power source 102 anda second lighting load (e.g., a second light bulb 122 installed in atable lamp 124). The plug-in load control device 120 may be plugged intoan electrical receptacle 126 powered by the AC power source 102, and thelamp (e.g., the table lamp 124) may be plugged into the plug-in loadcontrol device 120. Other examples of the second load control device mayinclude, for example, a tabletop load control device or aremotely-mounted load control device. Either or both of the first loadcontrol device (e.g., the wall-mounted load control device 110) and thesecond load control device (e.g., the plug-in load control device 120)may be implemented as electronic switches configured to turn on and offthe respective electrical loads (e.g., light bulbs 112 and 122).

The load control system 100 may comprise a daylight control device,e.g., a motorized window treatment 130, mounted in front of a window forcontrolling the amount of daylight entering the space in which the loadcontrol system 100 is installed. The motorized window treatment 130 maycomprise, for example, a cellular shade, a roller shade, a drapery, aRoman shade, a Venetian blind, a Persian blind, a pleated blind, atensioned roller shade systems, or other suitable motorized windowcovering. The motorized window treatment 130 may comprise a motor driveunit 132 for adjusting the position of a covering material 134 of themotorized window treatment (e.g., a cellular shade fabric as shown inFIG. 1) in order to control the amount of daylight entering the space.The motor drive unit 132 of the motorized window treatment 130 may beconfigured to receive digital messages via wired or wireless signals(e.g., the RF signals 106) and to control the amount of daylightentering the space in response to the received digital messages. Themotorized window treatment 130 may have an antenna mounted on orextending from the motor drive unit 132 for receiving the RF signals106. The motor drive unit 132 of the motorized window treatment 130 maybe battery-powered or may receive power from an external direct-current(DC) power supply. Examples of battery-powered motorized windowtreatments are described in greater detail in commonly-assigned U.S.Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0261078, published Oct. 18,2012, entitled MOTORIZED WINDOW TREATMENT, and U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication No. 2014/0305602, published Oct. 16, 2014, entitledINTEGRATED ACCESSIBLE BATTERY COMPARTMENT FOR MOTORIZED WINDOWTREATMENT, the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated byreference.

The load control system 100 may comprise one or more input devices(e.g., RF transmitters) configured to receive user inputs, transmitdigital messages, and/or receive digital messages. The digital messagesmay be transmitted via wired (e.g., through a wired communication link)or wireless signals (e.g., the RF signals 106). For example, the inputdevice may be a tabletop remote control device 140, a wall-mountedremote control device 150, a visual display remote control device 160(e.g., a dynamic keypad), and/or a battery-powered handheld remotecontrol device 170. The digital messages transmitted by the input devicemay include information such as a command, a query, and/or identifyinginformation. For example, the digital messages transmitted by the inputdevice may include a serial number (e.g., a unique identifier)associated with the transmitting input device. The wireless signals(e.g., the RF signals 106) carrying the digital messages may betransmitted at a certain communication frequency or frequency rangef_(RF) (e.g., approximately 434 MHz, 2.4 GHz, or 5.6 GHz). Thetransmission may utilize a proprietary communication protocol, such asthe ClearConnect® protocol, WIFI, Bluetooth®, ZIGBEE, Z-WAVE, KNX-RF,ENOCEAN RADIO, or a different proprietary protocol.

The input devices may be assigned to the load control devices (e.g., thewall-mounted dimmer switch 110, the plug-in load control device 120,and/or the motorized window treatment 130) during a configurationprocedure of the load control system 100, such that the load controldevices may be responsive to digital messages transmitted by the inputdevices (e.g., via the RF signals 106). Examples of methods ofassociating wireless control devices are described in greater detail incommonly-assigned U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0111491,published May 15, 2008, entitled RADIO-FREQUENCY LIGHTING CONTROLSYSTEM; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0214609, publishedAug. 22, 2013, entitled TWO-PART LOAD CONTROL SYSTEM MOUNTABLE TO ASINGLE ELECTRICAL WALLBOX; and U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/830,237, filed Mar. 14, 2013, entitled COMMISSIONING LOAD CONTROLSYSTEMS; the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated byreference.

The load control system 100 may further comprise a gateway device, e.g.,a bridge (not shown), configured to enable communication with a network,such as a wireless or wired local area network (LAN). The gateway devicemay be connected to a router (not shown) via a wired digitalcommunication link (e.g., an Ethernet communication link). The routermay allow for communication with the network, e.g., for access to theInternet. The gateway device may be wirelessly connected to the network,e.g., using Wi-Fi technology. The gateway device may be configured totransmit the RF signals 106 to the load control devices (e.g.,wall-mounted dimmer switch 110, the plug-in load control device 120,and/or the motorized window treatment 130) for controlling therespective electrical loads (e.g., the light bulbs 112, 122, and/or thecovering material 132) in response to digital messages received fromexternal devices via the network. The transmission may use a proprietaryprotocol described herein. The gateway device may be configured toreceive digital messages from the control devices of the load controlsystem 100 (e.g., via the RF signals 106 and using a proprietaryprotocol). The gateway device may be configured to transmit digitalmessages via the network for providing data (e.g., status information)to external devices. The gateway device may operate as a centralcontroller for the load control system 100, or may relay digitalmessages between the control devices of the load control system and thenetwork.

The load control system 100 may further comprise a network device (notshown), such as, a smart phone (e.g., an iPhone® smart phone, anAndroid® smart phone, or a Blackberry® smart phone), a personalcomputer, a laptop, a wireless-capable media device (e.g., MP3 player,gaming device, or television), a tablet device (e.g., an iPad® hand-heldcomputing device), a Wi-Fi or wireless-communication-capable television,or any other suitable Internet-Protocol-enabled device. For example, thenetwork device may be configured to transmit RF signals to the gatewaydevice via a Wi-Fi communication link, a Wi-MAX communications link, aBluetooth® communications link, a near field communication (NFC) link, acellular communications link, a television white space (TVWS)communication link, or any combination thereof. Examples of load controlsystems operable to communicate with network devices on a network aredescribed in greater detail in commonly-assigned U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication No. 2013/0030589, published Jan. 31, 2013, entitled LOADCONTROL DEVICE HAVING INTERNET CONNECTIVITY, the entire disclosure ofwhich is hereby incorporated by reference.

FIG. 2A is an enlarged perspective view of the tabletop remote controldevice 140. The tabletop remote control device 140 may be configured tobe placed on a surface (e.g., an end table or night stand). The tabletopremote control device 140 may be powered by a direct-current (DC) powersource (e.g., a battery or an external DC power supply plugged into anelectrical outlet). The tabletop remote control device 140 may comprisea user interface. The user interface may include one or more presetbuttons 142, an on button 144, an off button 145, a raise button 146,and/or a lower button 147. The tabletop remote control device 140 may beconfigured to transmit digital messages via the RF signals 106 inresponse to an actuation of any of the buttons 142-147.

The tabletop remote control device 140 may be associated with one ormore of the load control devices of the load control system 100 (e.g.,the dimmer switch 110, the plug-in load control device 120, and themotorized window treatment 130). For example, if the tabletop remotecontrol device 140 is associated with the dimmer switch 110, the dimmerswitch 110 may be configured to turn the light bulb 112 on and off inresponse to actuations of the on and off buttons 144, 145 of thetabletop remote control device, respectively. The dimmer switch 110 maybe configured to increase or decrease the amount of power delivered tothe light bulb 112 in response to actuations of the raise and lowerbuttons 146, 147 of the tabletop remote control device 140,respectively. The dimmer switch 110 may be configured to adjust theintensity of the light bulb 112 to a respective preset intensity inresponse to an actuation of the one of the preset buttons 142.

The buttons 142-147 may have indicia (e.g., text or icons on or adjacentto the buttons) to describe the function of the buttons. For example,the indicia may be engraved into the buttons or may be on a labelaffixed to the buttons. The buttons 142-147 may be backlit (e.g., byLEDs) to enable the indicia on the buttons to be seen in a darkenvironment. The backlit buttons may form a first illuminated portion ofthe tabletop remote control device 140.

The user interface of the tabletop remote control device 140 may furthercomprise a second illuminated portion, e.g., in the form of one or morevisual indicators 148 (e.g., LEDs) for providing feedback to a user ofthe load control system 100. The visual indicators 148 may be locatedadjacent to the buttons or on the front surface of the buttons (e.g., onthe preset buttons 142 as shown in FIG. 2). For example, the visualindicators 148 may be illuminated when the preset associated with theadjacent preset button 142 is selected.

FIG. 2B is an enlarged perspective view of the wall-mounted remotecontrol device 150. The wall-mounted remote control device 150 maycomprise a faceplate 152 and a plurality of buttons 154. The faceplate152 may be mounted to an adapter 159 and the plurality of buttons 154may be received through an opening 156 of the faceplate 152. Thewall-mounted remote control device 150 may be electrically connected toan alternating-current (AC) power source (not shown) for receivingpower, and be configured to transmit a digital message to one or moreexternal load control devices for controlling their respectiveelectrical loads. The digital message may be transmitted via a wired orwireless communication link, such as a radio-frequency (RF)communication link. Alternatively and/or additionally, the wall-mountedremote control device 150 may include an internal load control circuitfor controlling at least the power delivered to one or more electricalloads.

The buttons 154 may include indicia, such as text 155, for indicating apreset (e.g., a lighting scene) or command that may be transmitted inresponse to an actuation of the button 154. Alternatively oradditionally, the indicia on the buttons 154 may comprise an icon orsymbol. A preset may relate to a particular mode of operation of anelectrical load. For example, if the electrical load is a lighting load,the preset may relate to a particular lighting intensity level of thelighting load. For instance, a “morning” preset may set a lighting loadat a medium-high lighting intensity level (e.g., 70% intensity), a “day”preset may set a lighting load at a high lighting intensity level (e.g.,100% intensity, or full on), an “evening” preset may set the lightingload at a medium-low intensity level (e.g., 30% intensity), and a“night” preset may set the lighting load at a low lighting intensitylevel (e.g., 10% intensity). The one or more presets or commands may bepreconfigured and/or adjusted by the user through a commissioning modeof the wall-mounted remote control device 150.

The buttons 154 may be backlit to allow the indicia to be read in a widerange of ambient light levels. Each button 154 may be made of atranslucent (e.g., transparent, clear, and/or diffusive) material andmay be illuminated by one or more light sources (e.g., LEDs) locatedbehind and/or to the side of the button (e.g., inside of thewall-mounted remote control device 150). The buttons 154 may each have ametallic surface, e.g., a metallic sheet (not shown), adhered to a frontsurface of the body. The text 155 may be etched into the metallicsurface of each button 154. The illumination from the LEDs may shinethrough the translucent body, but not through the metallic surface, suchthat the text 155 of each button (e.g., that is etched away from themetallic surface) is illuminated. Alternatively or additionally, thebuttons 154 may be coated with another type of opaque material, such aspaint, and the text 155 may be etched into the paint. For example, thebody of each button 154 may be made of a translucent material, such asglass. The opaque material (e.g., such as paint) may be coated onto therear surface of the body and the text may be etched into paint on therear surface of the body. Moreover, the faceplate 152 of thewall-mounted remote control device 150 may comprise a metallic sheet.Text or other indicia may be etched into the metallic faceplate and bebacklit by LEDs located behind the faceplate.

The ambient light level in the room in which the wall-mounted remotecontrol device 150 is installed may affect a user's ability to read thetext 155 on the buttons 154. For example, if the contrast between thebrightness of the illuminated text 155 and the brightness of theadjacent surface of the button 154 is too low, the illuminated text mayappear washed out to the user. Other factors such as the color of thebuttons, the color of the walls, ceilings, and floors in the room, andthe like may also affect the readability of the text 155. As such, theuser may not be able to identify which of the presets is selected (e.g.,“active”) based on the intensity of the illumination of the text 155.Accordingly, the wall-mounted remote control device 150 may comprise anintegral ambient light sensor (e.g., an ambient light detectioncircuit), which may be located inside of the wall-mounted remote controldevice and may be configured to measure the ambient light level in theroom in which the wall-mounted remote control device 150 is installed.For example, the wall-mounted remote control device 150 may comprise anopening 158 in the adapter 159 through which the ambient light detectioncircuit may receive light to make a determination of the ambient lightlevel in the room. Alternatively or additionally, the wall-mountedremote control device 150 may comprise an opening in the faceplate 152and/or one or more of the buttons 154 for allowing the ambient lightdetection circuit to receive light. In addition, the ambient lightdetection circuit may be configured to receive light through the gapsbetween the buttons 154 and/or through the material of the buttons. Theambient light detection circuit may also be positioned behind asemi-transparent or dark window and may be configured to receive lightthrough the window. The wall-mounted remote control device 150 maycomprise a light pipe for directing light from outside of the remotecontrol device to the ambient light detection circuit.

The wall-mounted remote control device 150 may be configured to adjustits surface illumination intensities in response to the measured ambientlight level. For example, the wall-mounted remote control device 150 maybe configured to increase the surface illumination intensities if theambient light level increases, and decrease the surface illuminationintensities if the ambient light level decreases. Examples ofwall-mounted remote control devices having an illuminated portion aredescribed in greater detail in commonly-assigned U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 14/850,315, filed Sep. 10, 2015, entitled CONTROL DEVICE HAVINGBUTTONS WITH MULTIPLE-LEVEL BACKLIGHTING, the entire disclosure of whichis hereby incorporated by reference.

Referring back to FIG. 1, the wall-mounted remote control device 150 maybe associated with one or more of the load control devices of the loadcontrol system 100 and may be configured to transmit one or more digitalmessages (e.g., via the RF signals 106) to the associated load controldevices in response to an actuation of any of the buttons 154. Forexample, the dimmer switch 110 may be configured to adjust the intensityof the light bulb 112 to a preset intensity in response to an actuationof the one of the buttons 154.

In addition to or in lieu of the wall-mounted remote control device 150,the load control system 100 may include a wall-mounted remote controldevice that may comprise a thin touch sensitive actuator as shown anddescribed in previously-referenced U.S. Pat. No. 7,791,595. The thintouch sensitive actuator may be part of a user interface of thewall-mounted remoted control device. The wall-mounted remote controldevice may transmit digital messages for controlling one or moreelectrical loads in response to actuations of the thin touch sensitiveactuator. The wall-mounted remote control device may illuminate thetouch sensitive actuator (e.g., an illuminated portion) to providefeedback of the status of the electrical loads.

The visual display remote control device 160 may be configured to bemounted to a flat surface. For example, the visual display remotecontrol device 160 may be mounted to a wall (e.g., to an electricalwallbox or surface-mounted to the wall). The visual display remotecontrol device 160 may comprise a user interface having atouch-responsive visual display 162. The visual display 162 may beilluminated by a backlight, such that the visual display forms anilluminated portion of the visual display remote control device 160. Thevisual display remote control device 160 may comprise a touch sensitiveelement (e.g., a capacitive touch pad). The touch sensitive element maybe displaced overtop the visual display 162 to allow the visual displayremote control device to display “soft” buttons that may be actuated bya user. For example, the visual display remote control device 160 may beconfigured to provide a plurality of different “soft” buttons on thevisual display 162 (e.g., via the touch sensitive element) to the userso that the user may monitor and/or adjust different operatingcharacteristics of the load control system 100 using one or more of the“soft” buttons. In addition to or in lieu of the “soft” buttons, thevisual display remote control device 160 may comprise “hard” buttons 164(e.g., physical buttons), which may be used to select predeterminedpresets or scenes or turn predetermined loads on and off, for example.

The battery-powered remote control device 170 may comprise one or moreactuators 172 (e.g., one or more of an on button, an off button, a raisebutton, a lower button, and a preset button). The battery-powered remotecontrol device 170 may transmit RF signals 106 in response to actuationsof one or more of the actuators 172. The battery-powered remote controldevice 170 may be operated in different ways, including, for example,being handheld, mounted vertically to a wall, or supported on a pedestalto be mounted on a tabletop. Examples of battery-powered remote controldevices are described in greater detail in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat.No. 8,330,638, issued Dec. 11, 2012, entitled WIRELESS BATTERY-POWEREDREMOTE CONTROL HAVING MULTIPLE MOUNTING MEANS, and U.S. PatentApplication Publication No. 2012/0286940, published Nov. 15, 2012,entitled CONTROL DEVICE HAVING A NIGHTLIGHT, the entire disclosures ofwhich are hereby incorporated by reference.

The occupancy sensor 180 may be configured to detect occupancy andvacancy conditions in the space in which one or more of the controldevices of the load control system 100 are installed. The occupancysensor 180 may be installed in any particular way. For example, theoccupancy sensor 180 may be configured to be mounted to a ceiling or awall in the space in which one or more of the control devices of theload control system 100 are installed. The occupancy sensor 180 maytransmit digital messages to one or more load control devices (e.g., thewall-mounted dimmer switch 110 and/or the plug-in load control device120) in response to detecting the occupancy or vacancy conditions. Thedigital messages may be carried by wired or wireless signals (e.g., viathe RF signals 106). The load control devices may be configured tooperate the respective electrical loads (e.g., the light bulb 112, 122)in response to receiving the digital messages from the occupancy sensor180. For example, the load control devices may be configured to turn onthe respective electrical loads in response to receiving an occupiedmessage, and to turn off the respective electrical loads in response toreceiving a vacant message. The occupancy sensor 180 may operate as avacancy sensor. For example, the sensor may be configured to turn off(e.g., only turn off) the lighting loads in response to detecting avacancy condition (e.g., to not turn on the light bulbs 112, 122 inresponse to detecting an occupancy condition). Examples of RF loadcontrol systems having occupancy and vacancy sensors are described ingreater detail in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 8,009,042, issued Aug.30, 2011, entitled RADIO-FREQUENCY LIGHTING CONTROL SYSTEM WITHOCCUPANCY SENSING; U.S. Pat. No. 8,199,010, issued Jun. 12, 2012,entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONFIGURING A WIRELESS SENSOR; andU.S. Pat. No. 8,228,184, issued Jul. 24, 2012, entitled BATTERY-POWEREDOCCUPANCY SENSOR, the entire disclosures of which are herebyincorporated by reference.

The daylight sensor 182 may be configured to measure a light intensity(e.g., a total light intensity) in the space in which one or more of thecontrol devices of the load control system 100 is installed. Thedaylight sensor 182 may be installed in any particular way. For example,the daylight sensor 182 may be configured to be mounted to a ceiling ora wall in the space in which one or more of the control devices of theload control system 100 are installed. The daylight sensor 182 maytransmit digital messages indicating the measured light intensity to oneor more load control devices (e.g., the wall-mounted dimmer switch 110and/or the plug-in load control device 120). The digital messages may betransmitted via wired or wireless signals (e.g., via the RF signals106). The load control devices may control the operation of therespective electrical loads (e.g., the intensities of the light bulbs112, 122) in response to the digital messages received (e.g., inresponse to the measured light intensity). For example, where theelectrical loads are lighting loads, the load control devices may beconfigured to dim or turn off the respective lighting loads whensufficient daylight is detected by the day light sensor 182. Examples ofRF load control systems having daylight sensors are described in greaterdetail in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 8,410,706, issued Apr. 2,2013, entitled METHOD OF CALIBRATING A DAYLIGHT SENSOR; and U.S. Pat.No. 8,451,116, issued May 28, 2013, entitled WIRELESS BATTERY-POWEREDDAYLIGHT SENSOR, the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporatedby reference.

The load control devices (e.g., the dimmer switch 110, the plug-in loadcontrol device 120, and the motorized window treatment 130) and/or theinput devices (e.g., the tabletop remote control 140, the wall-mountedremote control device 150, and the visual display remote control device160) may be generally referred to herein as control devices. One or moreof these control devices may comprise an illuminated portion and may beconfigured to illuminate the respective illuminated portions, forexample, to help a user find and operate the control devices. However,the LEDs used to illuminate the illuminated portions may unnecessarilyconsume power, e.g., when the user is not operating the control devices,when the user is not in the vicinity of the control devices, and/or whenthe daylight level is appropriate to operate the control devices withoutthe illuminated portion being illuminated. Therefore, the controldevices of the load control system 100 may be configured to controltheir respective illuminated portions based on a condition of the spacein which the control devices are installed. The condition may be sensedby a sensor (e.g., the occupancy sensor 180 and/or the daylight sensor182) and indicated to the control devices (e.g., via digital messagestransmitted by the sensor) in order to promote energy savings and/orconvenience. For example, the dimmer switch 110 may adjust theintensities of the visual indicators 118 in response to the occupancysensor 180 and/or the daylight sensor 182. The tabletop remote controldevice 140 may adjust the intensities of the LEDs backlighting thebuttons 142-147 and/or the intensities of the LEDs illuminating thevisual indicators 148 in response to the occupancy sensor 180 and/or thedaylight sensor 182. The wall-mounted remote control device 150 mayadjust the intensities of the LEDs backlighting the buttons 154 inresponse to the occupancy sensor 180 and/or the daylight sensor 182. Thevisual display remote control device 160 may turn the visual display 162and/or the backlight for the visual display on and off in response tothe occupancy sensor 180 and/or the daylight sensor 182.

In an example implementation, the control devices may be configured toturn their respective illuminated portions on and off in response todigital messages received from the occupancy sensor 180. For example,the control devices may be configured to illuminate the respectiveilluminated portions in response to receiving an “occupied” message fromthe occupancy sensor 180 when a user walks into the space in which therespective control devices are located. The control devices may beconfigured to cease illuminating their illuminated portions in responseto receiving a “vacant” message from the occupancy sensor when the userleaves the space. For example, the control devices may be configured tostart a timeout timer when the control devices first receive the“occupied” message and then to turn off the illumination of theilluminated portions when the timeout timer expires.

One or more occupancy sensors may be included in the load control system100. For example, a single occupancy sensor (e.g., the occupancy sensor180) may be used to control the illuminated portions of a plurality ofcontrol devices in response to the occupancy and/or vacancy conditionssensed by the occupancy sensor. This way, the control devices may notall require individual sensors, and may thus be more compact, lesscomplex, and/or cheaper. The total cost of the load control system 100may be reduced accordingly. Further, since the control devices may allbe responsive to the single occupancy sensor, the illuminated portionsof the control devices may be controlled in unison (e.g., controlled onand off together) in response to the occupancy and vacancy conditionssensed by the occupancy sensor.

The single occupancy sensor described herein may be a sensor that isexternal to all of the control devices, as shown, for example, by theoccupancy sensor 180 in FIG. 1. The single occupancy sensor may also bean integral sensor included in one of the control devices of the loadcontrol system 100 (e.g., an internal occupancy sensing circuit). Thiscontrol device may be configured to transmit digital messages includingthe occupancy and vacancy conditions detected by its integral occupancysensor to the other control devices in the load control system 100. Thereceiving control devices may control their respective illuminatedportions in response to receiving the occupancy and vacancy conditions.If one of the control devices has an integral occupancy sensor, theoccupancy sensor 180 may not be required in the load control system 100in order to control the illuminated portions of a plurality of controldevices in response to occupancy and vacancy conditions.

The control devices may be configured to turn their respectiveilluminated portions on and off in response to digital messages receivedfrom the daylight sensor 182. For example, the control devices may beconfigured to turn off the illumination of their respective illuminatedportions if the control devices determine that the light level indicatedin the digital messages (e.g., received from the daylight sensor 182) issufficient for a user to read the text or indicia on the control device.In an example implementation, the control devices may determine that thelight level is sufficient if the light level is above a threshold lightlevel (e.g., during the daytime). The control devices may be configuredto illuminate their respective illuminated portions if the light levelis below the threshold light level (e.g., during the nighttime).

The control devices may be configured to adjust the intensity of theilluminated portions in response to the light level received in thedigital messages from the daylight sensor 182. For example, the controldevices may be configured to operate in a continuous mode and adjust theintensity level of the LEDs illuminating the illuminated portions inresponse to the light level received (e.g., as a function of the lightlevel). In an example implementation, the control devices may beconfigured to control the intensity level of the LEDs to be proportionalto the light level received so that the backlight intensity of thevisual display 162 of the visual display remote control device 160 maybe increased as the ambient light intensity in the space increases. Inanother example implementation, the control devices may be configured tocontrol the intensity level of the LEDs to be inversely proportional tothe light level sensed by the daylight sensor 182.

One or more daylight sensors may be included in the load control system100. For example, a single daylight sensor (e.g., the daylight sensor182) may be used to control the illuminated portions of a plurality ofcontrol devices in response to the ambient light level sensed by thesingle daylight sensor. Such an implementation may reduce the size andcomplexity of the individual control devices and/or the total cost ofthe load control system 100, since the control devices may not allrequire individual sensors for detecting the light level. Further, sincethe control devices may all be responsive to the single daylight sensor,the illuminated portions of the control devices may be controlled inunison (e.g., adjusted to the same intensity) in response to the singlemeasured ambient light level.

The single daylight sensor described herein may be a sensor that isexternal to all of the control devices, as shown, for example, by thedaylight sensor 182 in FIG. 1. The single daylight sensor may also be anintegral sensor included in one of the control devices of the loadcontrol system 100 (e.g., an internal daylight sensing circuit). Thiscontrol device may be configured to transmit digital messages includingthe ambient light level sensed by its integral sensor to the othercontrol devices in the load the control system 100. The receivingcontrol devices may control their respective illuminated portions inresponse to the ambient light level received. If one of the controldevices has an integral daylight sensor, the daylight sensor 182 may notbe required in the load control system 100 in order to control theilluminated portions of a plurality of control devices in response tothe ambient light level.

More than one control device in the load control system 100 may includean integral sensor. For example, multiple control devices in the loadcontrol system 100 may include an integral daylight sensor and may eachbe configured to communicate their respective measured ambient lightlevels to the other control devices in the load control system 100,e.g., using wired (e.g., via separate communication wiring) or wireless(e.g., via RF or infrared signals) communication mechanism. For example,a control device with an integral daylight sensor may communicate itsmeasured ambient light level to other control devices that may or maynot include an integral daylight sensor. The control devices receivingthe communication may be configured to process the ambient light levelcommunicated to them and control their respective illuminated portionsin response to the ambient light level. If a control device receivescommunications from multiple other control devices regarding a measuredambient light level, the control device may be configured to aggregatethe communications and determine a representative ambient light levelbased on a result of the aggregation. If the receiving control deviceitself also includes an integral sensor, it may further aggregate theambient light level measured by its own sensor with the representativeambient light level measured by the multiple other control devices. Forexample, the control device may be configured to calculate an averageambient light level based on the ambient light levels received from theother control devices as well as the ambient light level sensed by thecontrol device's own integral daylight sensor (if any). The controldevice may be further configured to control its illuminated portion inresponse to the average ambient light level.

FIG. 3 shows an example multi-gang configuration 190 in which threecontrol devices 192A, 192B, 192C are installed side-by-side, e.g., in amulti-gang electrical wallbox. The multi-gang configuration 190 maycomprise a multi-gang faceplate 194, which may be mounted to an adapter195 and may have multiple openings 196A, 196B, 196C. The control devices192A, 192B, 192C may each comprise respective buttons 198 a, 198 b, 198c that are received through the respective openings 196A, 196B, 196C ofthe multi-gang faceplate 194. Even though the control devices 192A,192B, 192C are shown in the figure as wall-mounted remote controldevices (e.g., such the wall-mounted remote control device 150), thecontrol devices may be of any particular type as described herein.

The control devices 192A, 192B, 192C may each include an illuminatedportion (e.g., the buttons 198 a, 198 b, 198 c). One or more of thecontrol devices 192A, 192B, 192C may each include an integral daylightdetection circuit. For example, all three of the control devices mayinclude an integral ambient light detection circuit (not shown), and maybe configured to communicate ambient light levels sensed by therespective ambient light detection circuits to the other control devices(e.g., using wired or wireless communication). As shown in FIG. 3, theadapter 195 may comprise multiple openings 199A, 199B, 199C throughwhich the respective ambient light detection circuits may receive lightto make a determination of the ambient light level in the room. Forexample, the control device 192A may transmit a signal indicative of theambient light level sensed by its ambient light detection circuit to thecontrol devices 192B and 192C. Likewise, the control devices 192B and192C may each transmit a signal (e.g., a control signal) indicative ofthe ambient light level sensed by their respective ambient lightdetection circuits and to the other two control devices in themulti-gang configuration 190.

The control devices 192A, 192B, 192C may each be configured to aggregatethe information they receive (e.g., via the control signals describedherein) regarding the ambient light level in the installationenvironment, and to control their respective illuminated portionsaccordingly. For example, the control devices 192A, 192B, 192C in themulti-gang configuration 190 may form a group and may be configured tocontrol their respective illuminated portions based on an averageambient light level. The average ambient light level may be calculatedbased on ambient light levels sensed by a plurality of control devicesin the group. The averaging may be conducted using any type of averagingalgorithms, including, for example, an arithmetic mean, a weightedaverage, and/or the like. The control devices 192A, 192B, 192C may beconfigured to adjust the intensity of their respective illuminatedportions based on a result of the aggregation (e.g., based on theaverage ambient light level). This way, the illuminated portions of thethree control devices 192A, 192B, 192C may be illuminated in unisonbased on one light level (e.g., the average light level). Aestheticappeal of the multi-gang configuration may increase because of uniformillumination of the three control devices. Fault tolerance capabilitymay also be improved because even if the integral ambient lightdetection circuit of one of the control devices 192A, 192B, 192C entersan erroneous state, that control device may still be able to adjust itsilluminated portion based on measurements provided by the other twocontrol devices.

The control devices 192A, 192B, 192C may be configured to adjust theintensity of their respective illuminated portions based on the ambientlight level sensed by the ambient light detection circuit of a selectedone of the control devices. For instance, as shown in FIG. 3, thecontrol devices 192A, 192B, 192C in the multi-gang configuration 190 mayform a group and one of the three control devices may be selected as adesignated control device whose ambient light detection circuit may beused by the group. The selection of the designated control device may bemade automatically (e.g., via pre-configuration) or via a graphical userinterface (GUI). For example, the respective ambient light detectioncircuits on the control devices 192A, 192B, 192C may be offset from thecenter of the respective control devices such that the ambient lightdetection circuit on one of the control devices may be closer to theother control devices. The control devices 192A, 192B, 192C may beconfigured (e.g., preconfigured) to determine which one of them has anambient light detection circuit with an offset closest to the othercontrol devices and to set that control device as the device whoseambient light detected will be used for the group. Once it is determinedwhich control device will use its ambient light level for the group,that control device may communicate its measured ambient light level toone or more other control devices in the group using wired (e.g., viaseparate communication wiring) or wireless communication (e.g., via RFor infrared signals).

Even though three control devices 192A, 192B, 192C are shown in FIG. 3,any number of control devices may be installed close to each other(e.g., ganged together in a wallbox or located close to each other inthe same room/space). The specific installation configuration may bebased on, for example, consumer demands and/or conditions of theinstallation environment. And even though in the depiction all threecontrol devices 192A, 192B, 192C include an integral ambient lightdetection circuit, the features described herein are not limited to sucha configuration. For example, two of the three control devices mayinclude an integral ambient light detection circuit and the thirdcontrol device may not include an integral ambient light detectioncircuit. The two control devices equipped with the ambient lightdetection circuits may transmit signals (e.g., a control signal)indicative of the ambient light level sensed by their respective ambientlight detection circuits. The signals may be received by the othercontrol devices in the system and be used by those control devices toadjust their respective illustrated portions (e.g., using an averagingalgorithm as described herein). As another example, one of the threecontrol devices may include an integral ambient light detection circuitand be designated to provide ambient light level for all three controldevices. In some examples, there may be an external sensor (e.g., asensor having an ambient light detection circuit external to all of thecontrol devices) in addition to one or more integral ambient lightdetection circuits. The external sensor may be configured to transmit asignal indicative of the light level sensed, and the control devices maybe configured to adjust their respective illustrated portions based onan aggregation of the light levels sensed by the external sensor as wellas the integral ambient light detection circuits (e.g., using anaveraging algorithm as described herein).

When one or more control devices in the load control system 100 includean integral daylight sensor (e.g., an integral ambient light detectioncircuit) and/or when there is an external sensor, a control device maybe designated to receive the light levels measured and communicated bythe other control devices. Based on the communications, the designatedcontrol device may derive a representative light level and transmit therepresentative light level to the other control devices in the loadcontrol system 100. For example, the designated control device maycalculate an average light level based on the light levels received. Theaveraging may be conducted using any type of averaging algorithms,including, for example, an arithmetic mean, a weighted average, and/orthe like. The representative light level may also be derived using adifferent function or formula (e.g., a complex function). The controldevices may be located in the same room/space and/or ganged together inan electrical wallbox.

The load control system 100 may comprise a sensor having both anoccupancy sensing circuit and an ambient light sensing circuit. Forexample, the occupancy sensor 180 may be configured to measure both anoccupancy condition and an ambient light level in the space and totransmit both the occupancy information and the ambient light level tothe control devices of the load control system 100.

The load control system 100 may comprise other types of load controldevices, such as, for example, a dimming ballast for driving agas-discharge lamp; a light-emitting diode (LED) driver for driving anLED light source; a dimming circuit for controlling the intensity of alighting load; a screw-in luminaire including a dimmer circuit and anincandescent or halogen lamp; a screw-in luminaire including a ballastand a compact fluorescent lamp; a screw-in luminaire including an LEDdriver and an LED light source; an electronic switch, controllablecircuit breaker, or other switching device for turning an appliance onand off; a controllable electrical receptacle or controllable powerstrip for controlling one or more plug-in loads; a motor control unitfor controlling a motor load, such as a ceiling fan or an exhaust fan; adrive unit for controlling a motorized window treatment or a projectionscreen; motorized interior or exterior shutters; a thermostat for aheating and/or cooling system; a temperature control device forcontrolling a setpoint temperature of an HVAC system; an airconditioner; a compressor; an electric baseboard heater controller; acontrollable damper; a variable air volume controller; a fresh airintake controller; a ventilation controller; a hydraulic valves for useradiators and radiant heating system; a humidity control unit; ahumidifier; a dehumidifier; a water heater; a boiler controller; a poolpump; a refrigerator; a freezer; a television or computer monitor; avideo camera; an audio system or amplifier; an elevator; a power supply;a generator; an electric charger, such as an electric vehicle charger;and an alternative energy controller.

The load control system 100 may comprise other types of input devicesand/or sensors, such as, for example, temperature sensors, humiditysensors, radiometers, cloudy-day sensors, pressure sensors, smokedetectors, carbon monoxide detectors, air-quality sensors, motionsensors, security sensors, proximity sensors, fixture sensors, partitionsensors, keypads, kinetic or solar-powered remote controls, key fobs,cell phones, smart phones, tablets, personal digital assistants,personal computers, laptops, timeclocks, audio-visual controls, safetydevices, power monitoring devices (such as power meters, energy meters,utility submeters, utility rate meters), central control transmitters,residential, commercial, or industrial controllers, or any combinationof these devices.

The load control system 100 may comprise a system controller configuredto receive digital messages from one or more sensors (e.g., such as theoccupancy sensor 180, the daylight sensor 182, and/or an integral sensordescribed herein). The digital messages may include informationregarding a condition or parameter sensed by the sensors. The systemcontroller may be configured to aggregate the information received fromthe sensors and transmit a control signal to one or more control devicesin the load control system 100 based on the aggregation. For example,the system controller may be configured to calculate an average lightlevel based on light levels measured and transmitted by multipledaylight sensors. The averaging may be performed using any type ofaveraging algorithms, including, for example, an arithmetic mean, aweighted average, and/or the like. Upon deriving the average lightlevel, the system controller may transmit a control signal to one ormore control devices in the load control system 100, e.g., to instructthe control devices to adjust their respective illuminated portions. Thecontrol devices may be configured to control the respective illuminatedportions in response to the control signal received from the systemcontroller.

FIG. 4 is a simplified block diagram of an example control device 200,which may be deployed, for example, as one of the input devices of theload control system 100 shown in FIG. 1 (e.g., the tabletop remotecontrol device 140, the wall-mounted remote control device 150, thevisual display remote control device 160, and/or the battery-poweredhandheld remote control device 170). The control device 200 may comprisea control circuit 210 configured to control at least one electricalload. The control circuit 210 may include one or more of a processor(e.g., a microprocessor), a microcontroller, a programmable logic device(PLD), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specificintegrated circuit (ASIC), or any suitable processing device. Thecontrol circuit 210 may be coupled to a memory 212, which may storeoperational characteristics of the control device 200 and/or theelectrical load. The memory 212 may be implemented as an externalintegrated circuit (IC) or as an internal circuit of the control circuit210. The control device 200 may comprise a power source 214 forgenerating a DC supply voltage V_(CC) for powering the control circuit210, the memory 212, and/or other circuitry of the control device. Thepower source 214 may comprise a battery and/or a power supply thatreceives power from an external alternating-current (AC) ordirect-current (DC) power source.

The control device 200 may comprise a user interface 216 electricallycoupled to the control circuit 210. The user interface 216 may have aninput circuit 218 and/or one or more light sources 220 (e.g., LEDs). Thelight sources 220 may be used to illuminate one or more illuminatedportions of the control device 200, which may also be electricallycoupled to the control circuit 210. For example, the input circuit 218may comprise one or more actuators (e.g., such as the buttons 142-147,154) and/or a touch-responsive visual display (e.g., such as thetouch-responsive visual display 162) for receiving a user input. Thelight sources 220 may be configured to illuminate the actuators and/orthe visual display of the input circuit 218. The light sources 220 mayalso be configured to illuminate one or more visual indicators (such asthe visual indicators 148) of the control device 200.

The control device 200 may further comprise a communication circuit 222,e.g., a wireless communication circuit. The communication circuit 222may include, for example, an RF transceiver, transmitter, and/orreceiver coupled to an antenna for transmitting and/or receiving RFsignals (e.g., the RF signals 106 shown in FIG. 1). The control circuit210 may be electrically coupled to the communication circuit 222 fortransmitting digital messages to control one or more load controldevices (e.g., the dimmer switch 110, the plug-in load control device120, and/or the motorized window treatment 130). For example, a userinput may be received via the user interface 216 via the raise or lowerbuttons 146, 147. In response to receiving the user input, the controlcircuit 210 may transmit digital messages (e.g., via the RF signals 106)to the dimmer switch 110 instructing it to increase or decrease theamount of power delivered to the light bulb 112. The control circuit 210may be configured to receive digital messages from one or more loadcontrol devices (e.g., the dimmer switch 110, the plug-in load controldevice 120, and/or the motorized window treatment 130). For example, thecontrol circuit 210 may be configured to display a status of theelectrical loads and/or the load control devices of the load controlsystem 100 on the visual indicators of the control device 200 inresponse to receiving the digital messages from the one or more loadcontrol devices. As another example, the control circuit 210 may beconfigured to display an amount of power presently being delivered toone or more electrical loads on the visual display 162 in response toreceiving the digital messages.

The control circuit 210 may be configured to receive a control signalfrom one or more sensors, e.g., the occupancy sensor 180 and/or thedaylight sensor 182. Such control signal may be the same control signaltransmitted by the sensors for controlling one or more electrical loadsor may be a different control signal (e.g., a new control signal forcontrolling the illuminated portions of the control device 200). Thecontrol signal may be received in the form of digital messages. Thecontrol circuit 210 may be configured to control the light sources 220(and thus the illuminated portions) in response to receiving the controlsignal from the sensors. As an example, the control circuit 210 may beconfigured to turn on the light sources 220 in response to receiving an“occupied” message from the occupancy sensor 180, and to turn off thelight sources 220 in response to receiving a “vacant” message from theoccupancy sensor. As another example, the control circuit 210 may adjustthe intensity of the light sources 220 to a dim level in response to a“vacant” message (e.g., rather than turning the light sources off). Asyet another example, the control circuit 210 may be configured to starta timeout timer when the control circuit first receives the “occupied”message and then to turn off or dim the light sources 220 when thetimeout timer expires.

The control circuit 210 may be configured to compare a measured lightlevel (e.g., included in a digital message from the daylight sensor) toa threshold light level. The threshold light level may be pre-configuredand/or stored in memory. The threshold light level may be adjusted afterthe initial configuration. For example, the control circuit 210 may beconfigured to turn off the light sources 220 if the measured light levelis equal to or above the threshold light level and to turn on the lightsources if the measured light level is below the threshold light level.The control circuit 210 may be configured to adjust the intensity levelof the light sources 220 in response to the measured light levelreceived from the daylight sensor 182. For example, the control circuit210 may be configured to increase the intensity of the light sources 220as the measured light level increases and/or decrease the intensity ofthe light sources as the measured light level decreases.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example procedure 300 for illuminating anilluminated portion of a control device such as visual indicators (suchas the visual indicators 118, 148), backlit actuators (such as thebuttons 142-147, 154), and/or visual displays (such as the visualdisplay 162). The illumination procedure 300 may be executed by acontrol circuit (e.g., the control circuit 210 of the control device 200shown in FIG. 4 and/or a control circuit of the input devices shown inFIG. 1) in response to receiving a digital message from a sensor (e.g.,the occupancy sensor 180 and/or the daylight sensor 182) at step 310. Ifthe received digital message is an “occupied” message from the occupancysensor 182 at step 312 and the illuminated portion is presently beingilluminated at step 314, the illumination procedure 300 may simply exit.However, if the illuminated portion is presently not being illuminatedat step 314, the control circuit may illuminate the illuminated portionat step 316 (e.g., by illuminating the light sources 220). If thereceived digital message is a “vacant” message from the occupancy sensor182 at step 318 and the illuminated portion is presently not beingilluminated at step 320, the control circuit may start a timeout timerat step 322 before the illumination procedure 300 exits. When thetimeout timer expires, the control circuit may cease the illumination ofthe illuminated portion at step 316 (e.g., by turning off the lightsources 220).

If the received digital message includes a measured light level at step324 and the control circuit is configured to provide continuousoperation of the illuminated portion at step 326, the control device mayadjust the intensity of the illuminated portion as a function of themeasured light level at step 328 (e.g., proportional to the measuredlight level), before the illumination procedure exits. If the controlcircuit is configured to turn the illuminated portion on and off (e.g.,rather that providing continuous operation) at step 326, and themeasured light level is below the threshold level at step 330, thecontrol circuit may illuminate the illuminated portion of the controldevice at step 322 and the illumination procedure 300 may exit. If themeasured light level is not below the threshold level at step 330, thecontrol circuit may cease the illumination of the illuminated portion ofthe control device at step 324 and the illumination procedure 300 mayexit.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for controlling one or more electricalloads, the system comprising: a plurality of control devices installedin a multi-gang configuration, each of the plurality of control devicesconfigured to receive a user input and control at least one of theelectrical loads, the control devices each comprising a user interfaceand a light source internal to a housing of the control device, thelight source configured to illuminate the user interface to providefeedback to a user of the control device; and a first sensor internal toand within the housing of one of the plurality of control devices andexternal to and outside of the housing of at least another one of theplurality of control devices, the first sensor configured to sense acondition of a space in which the plurality of control devices areinstalled, wherein all of the plurality of the control devices areconfigured to control their respective light sources in response to thecondition sensed by the first sensor.
 2. The system of claim 1, whereinall of the plurality of control devices are each configured to receive asignal indicative of the condition sensed by the first sensor.
 3. Thesystem of claim 2, further comprising: a second control device of theplurality of control devices comprises a second sensor configured tosense the condition of the space in which the plurality of controldevices are installed, wherein the second sensor is internal to andwithin the housing of the second control device external to and outsideof the housing of at least another one of the plurality of controldevices; wherein a first control device of the plurality of controldevices comprises the first sensor; and wherein all of the plurality ofcontrol devices are each configured to receive a signal indicative ofthe condition sensed by the second sensor, and configured to controltheir respective light sources in response to the condition sensed bythe first sensor and the condition sensed by the second sensor.
 4. Thesystem of claim 3, wherein the plurality of control devices areconfigured to control their respective light sources based on anaggregation of the condition sensed by the first sensor and thecondition sensed by the second sensor.
 5. The system of claim 4, whereinthe condition sensed by the first sensor and the second sensor is alight level in the space in which the plurality of control devices areinstalled.
 6. The system of claim 4, wherein the aggregation of thecondition sensed by the first sensor and the condition sensed by thesecond sensor is based on an averaging algorithm.
 7. The system of claim1, further comprising: a load control circuit configured to control atleast one of the electrical loads in response to the condition sensed bythe first sensor.
 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first sensor isconfigured to measure a light level in the space in which the pluralityof control devices are installed, and the plurality of control devicesare configured to adjust an intensity of their respective light sourcesin response to the light level measured by the first sensor.
 9. Thesystem of claim 8, wherein the plurality of control devices areconfigured to adjust the intensity of their respective light sources inresponse to the measured light level by increasing the intensity of therespective light source in response to the measured light levelincreasing, and decreasing the intensity of the respective light sourcein response to the measured light level decreasing.
 10. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the first sensor is configured to detect an occupancyor a vacancy condition in the space in which the plurality of controldevices are installed, the plurality of control devices configured toturn on their respective light sources based on the first sensordetecting the occupancy condition in the space, and to turn off theirrespective light sources based on the first sensor detecting the vacancycondition in the space.
 11. The system of claim 1, wherein the lightsource of one of the plurality of control devices is configured toilluminate a visual display that is configured to display feedback tothe user, the one of the plurality of control devices configured to turnthe visual display on and off in response to the condition sensed by thefirst sensor.
 12. The system of claim 1, wherein the light source of oneof the plurality of control devices is configured to illuminate anactuator that is configured to be actuated by the user to receive theuser input.
 13. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a systemcontroller configured to transmit a control signal to the plurality ofcontrol devices in response to the first sensor; wherein the pluralityof control devices are configured to control their respective lightsources in response to the control signal received from the systemcontroller.
 14. The system of claim 1, wherein the feedback comprises anindication of whether a button of the user interface is in an activestate.
 15. A system for controlling at least one electrical load, thesystem comprising: a first control device comprising a first userinterface configured to receive a user input and a first light sourceinternal to a housing of the first control device, the first lightsource configured to illuminate the first user interface to providefeedback to a user of the first control device; and a second controldevice installed in a multi-gang configuration with the first controldevice comprising a control circuit, a second user interface configuredto receive a user input, a second light source internal to a housing ofthe second control device, and a sensor configured to sense a conditionof a space in which the first and the second control devices areinstalled, wherein the second light source is configured to illuminatethe second user interface to provide feedback to the user of the secondcontrol device, and wherein the control circuit is configured to:receive a signal from the sensor indicating a condition of the space inwhich the first and the second control devices are installed, controlthe second light source in response to receiving the signal from thesensor, and transmit a signal indicative of the condition of the spacesensed by the sensor to the first control device; wherein the firstcontrol device is configured to control the first light source inresponse to receiving the signal indicative of the condition of thespace sensed by the sensor of the second control device.
 16. The systemof claim 15, wherein the first control device is configured to controlthe at least one electrical load in response to the first user interfacereceiving the user input.
 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the firstcontrol device is further configured to control a first electrical loadin response to receiving the signal indicative of the condition of thespace sensed by the sensor.
 18. The system of claim 17, wherein thesignal from the sensor is indicative of a measured light level in thespace in which the first and the second control devices are installed,and wherein the first and the second control devices are configured toadjust an intensity of the first and the second light sources,respectively, in response to the measured light level.
 19. The system ofclaim 17, wherein the signal from the sensor is indicative of anoccupancy or a vacancy condition in the space in which the first and thesecond control devices are installed, and wherein the first and thesecond control devices are configured to turn on the first and thesecond light sources, respectively, based on the signal from the sensorindicating the occupancy condition in the space, and to turn off thefirst and the second light sources, respectively, based on the signalfrom the sensor indicating the vacancy condition in the space.
 20. Thesystem of claim 18, wherein the control circuit is configured to adjustthe intensity of the second light source in response to the measuredlight level by increasing the intensity of the second light source inresponse to the measured light level increasing, and decreasing theintensity of the second light source in response to the measured lightlevel decreasing.
 21. The system of claim 15, wherein the first and thesecond light sources are configured to illuminate a first and a secondvisual displays, respectively, which are configured to display feedbackto the user.
 22. The system of claim 15, wherein the first and thesecond light sources are configured to illuminate a first button and asecond button, respectively, which are configured to be actuated by theuser to receive the user input.
 23. The system of claim 15, wherein thefeedback comprises an indication of whether a button of the userinterface is in an active state.
 24. The system of claim 15, wherein thefirst control device further comprises a control circuit and a sensor,the sensor configured to sense the condition of the space in which thefirst and the second control devices are installed, wherein the controlcircuit associated with the second control device is configured to:receive a signal indicative of the condition of the space sensed by thesensor of the first control device; and control the second light sourcein response to receiving the signals indicative of the condition of thespace sensed by the sensors of the first and the second control devices.25. The system of claim 24, wherein the control circuit of the secondcontrol device is configured to control the second light source based onan aggregation of the signals indicative of the condition of the spacesensed by the sensor of the first and the second control devices. 26.The system of claim 25, wherein the aggregation of the signalsindicative of the condition of the space sensed by the sensors of thefirst and the second control devices are based on an averagingalgorithm.
 27. The system of claim 15, wherein the first control devicefurther comprises a control circuit and a sensor, the sensor of thefirst control device configured to sense the condition of the space inwhich the first and the second control devices are installed, whereinthe control circuit of the first control device is configured to:receive the signal indicative of the condition of the space sensed bythe sensor of the second control device; receive a signal indicative ofthe condition of the space sensed by the sensor of the first controldevice; ignore the signal indicative of the condition of the spacesensed by the sensor of the first control device; and control the firstlight source based on the signal indicative of the condition of thespace sensed by the sensor of the second control device.
 28. A loadcontrol system for controlling an electrical load, the load controlsystem comprising: a first load control device; an input device assignedto the first load control device, the input device comprising a userinterface and a light source internal to a housing of the input device,the light source configured to illuminate the user interface to providefeedback to a user of the input device, the input device configured to:receive a user input via the user interface, and based on the userinput, transmit a first control signal for controlling the electricalload; and a sensor configured to: sense a condition of a space in whichthe electrical load is installed, and in response to sensing thecondition, transmit a second control signal for controlling theelectrical load; wherein the first load control device is configured to:control the electrical load in response to the first control signalreceived from the input device, and control the electrical load inresponse to the second control signal received from the sensor; andwherein the sensor is external to and outside of both the input deviceand the first load control device, the input device configured tocontrol the light source internal to the housing of the input device inresponse to the condition sensed by the sensor; and a second loadcontrol device that comprises the sensor, the second load control deviceinstalled in the space in which the electrical load is installed,wherein the first load control device and the second load control deviceare installed in a multi-gang configuration.
 29. The load control systemof claim 28, wherein the sensor is configured to measure a light levelin the space in which the electrical load is installed, the input deviceconfigured to adjust an intensity of the light source internal to thehousing in response to the light level measured by the sensor.
 30. Theload control system of claim 29, wherein the input device is configuredto adjust the intensity of the light source in response to the measuredlight level by increasing the intensity of the light source in responseto the measured light level increasing, and decreasing the intensity ofthe light source in response to the measured light level decreasing. 31.The load control system of claim 28, wherein the sensor is configured todetect an occupancy or a vacancy condition in the space in which theelectrical load is installed, the input device configured to turn on thelight source based on the sensor detecting the occupancy condition inthe space, and to turn off the light source based on the sensordetecting the vacancy condition in the space.
 32. The load controlsystem of claim 28, wherein at least one light source is configured toilluminate a visual display that is configured to display feedback tothe user.
 33. The load control system of claim 28, wherein the lightsource internal to the housing of the input device is configured toilluminate a button that is configured to be actuated by the user toreceive the user input.
 34. The load control system of claim 28, whereinthe sensor is configured to transmit a third control signal to the inputdevice in response to sensing the condition, the input device configuredto control the light source internal to the housing of the input devicein response to the third control signal received from the sensor. 35.The load control system of claim 28, further comprising: a systemcontroller configured to transmit a third control signal to the inputdevice in response to the sensor sensing the condition, the input deviceconfigured to control the light source internal to the housing of theinput device in response to the third control signal received from thesystem controller.
 36. The load control system of claim 28, wherein thefeedback comprises an indication of whether a button of the userinterface is in an active state.